Yarn-winding assembly

ABSTRACT

A yarn-winding assembly enabling a cake of wound yarn to be quickly removed from a spool core. The assembly includes an inner shaft and two sets of axially extending spool core components distributed circumferentially about the shaft with the components of one set alternating with the components of the other set. A manually operable means is movable axially of the shaft and coacts with one of the sets of components for displacing this one set inwardly toward the shaft to an inoperative position upon movement in one axial direction and outwardly away from the shaft to an outer operative position upon movement in an opposite axial direction. An elastic means coacts with the other set of components for constantly urging them inwardly toward the shaft to their inoperative positions while the one set of components displaces the other set outwardly to their operative positions in opposition to the elastic means.

ijit ties atom Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] YARN-WINDING ASSEMBLY 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/464 [51] llnt. Cl B65h 75/30,

B65h 54/54 [50] Field of Search 242/464,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,036,754 4/1936 Howe 242/72.l

2,952,418 9/1960 Rice 3,446,450 5/1969 Sherwood Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Att0rneyArthur O. Klein ABSTRACT: A yarn-winding assembly enabling a cake of wound yarn to be quickly removed from a spool core. The assembly includes an inner shaft and two sets of axially extending spool core components distributed circumferentially about the shaft with the components of one set alternating with the components of the other set. A manually operable means is movable axially of the shaft and coacts with one of the sets of components for displacing this one set inwardly toward the shaft to an inoperative position upon movement in one axial direction and outwardly away from the shaft to an outer operative position upon movement in an opposite axial direction. An elastic means coacts with the other set of components for constantly urging them inwardly toward the shaft to their inoperative positions while the one set of components displaces the other set outwardly to their operative positions in opposition to the elastic means.

PATENTEDUCT 19 [an SHEET 1 [1F 2 INVENTORZ Froinano' BY ATTORNEY PATENTEBHCT w I I 3.614.007 SHEET 2 BF 2 Ferdinand LENORAK ATTORNEY lNvE NTOR I YARN-WINDING ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to yarn-winding assemblies.

In particular, the present invention relates to yarn-winding assemblies adapted to be used for winding yarns in the form of spun filaments.

As is well known, during the spinning of filaments, the continuous filaments issue from spinneret nozzles and are then wound onto perforated packages driven by a drive shaft of a yam-winding machine.

Assemblies of this latter type are of considerable disadvantage in that only a relatively small number of yards of the freshly spun filament can be wound onto the package, and in addition the package is subsequently subjected to a plurality of processing steps requiring repeated rewinding of the yarn so that empty perforated spools undesirably take up floor space which might well be used for other purposes. In addition, all of these spools require transporting means to move them about and locate them at proper locations, and the presence of the large number of spools required by conventional treatments renders processing inconvenient and difficult to carry out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a yarn-winding assembly which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a yam-winding assembly which does not require perforated spools or the like to be removed with the yarn after the yarn is wound thereon.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a construction according to which a cake of yarn can be quickly and easily removed from a spool on which it is wound, while leaving the spool itself in its initial location to be used for the next yam-winding operations.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a spool construction which can quickly and easily be placed in an operative position for having yarn wound thereon, immediately after a previously wound cake of yarn is removed from the spool.

In accordance with the invention, the yarn-winding assembly includes an inner shaft and two sets of axially extending spool core components distributed circumferentially about the shaft with the components of one set alternating with the components of the other set. A manually operable means is axially movable along the shaft and coacts with one of the sets of components for displacing them inwardly toward the shaft to an inoperative position upon movement of the manually operable means in one axial direction and for displacing this one set of components outwardly away from the shaft to an outer operative position upon movement of the manually operable means in an opposite axial direction. An elastic means coacts with the other set of components for yieldably urging them inwardly toward the shaft so that when the one set is moved inwardly toward the shaft the other set will be moved inwardly toward the shaft by the elastic means. This one set of spool core components coacts with the other set to displace the latter outwardly to their operative positions in opposition to the elastic means upon displacement of the one set of components outwardly to their operative positions. In their operative positions, all of the spool core components have outer surfaces coacting to define a continuous surface circumferentially surrounding the shaft and on which the yarn is wound, this continuous surface being, for example, cylindrical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of examples in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the manner in which the yarn-winding assembly invention is used with yarn in the form of spun filaments;

FIG. 2 is partly sectional longitudinal elevation of the yarnwinding assembly of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section of the structure of FIG. 2 taken along line A-A of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a guide plate which forms part of the yarnwinding assembly of, the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I, as is schematically illustrated therein, the filament-spinning structure includes, as is well known, filters 6 and tubes 5 communicating therewith and terminating in spinning nozzles 2. The illustrated structure includes an upper roller 4 and a lower roller 3, and above these rollers is situated the yam-winding assembly of the invention. Thus, a filament I issuing from a nozzle 2 is first wound around the upper roller 4 and then around the lower roller 3 from where the filament extends to the yam-winding assembly of the invention where it is wound into a suitable cake. FIG. I illustrates how a pair of filaments l are respectively wound simultaneously to form a pair of cakes 18. During the winding of the yarns they are distributed axially of the cakes into which they are wound by conventional traverse mechanisms schematically illustrated in FIG. ll.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the yarn-winding assembly of the invention includes an inner rotary shaft 14 which is turned to wind the yarn circumferentially by displacing the cakes circumferentially with respect to the yarn so that the latter will be wound onto the cake. As is shown most clearly in FIG. 3, the inner rotary shaft I4 is surrounded by two sets of axially extending spool core components 10 and II which rotate therewith. In the illustrated example there are four spool core components 10 uniformly distributed about the shaft 14 so that they are spaced from each other by considered circumferentially of the shaft 14. There are also four spool core components 11, which form the second set of components, and it will be seen that the components of one set alternate with those of the other set.

The spool core components 11 are of a substantially T- shaped cross section, while the spool core components 10 are substantially trapezoidal in cross section. All of these components are shown in FIG. 3 in their outer operative positions where their exterior surfaces all coact to define a continuous cylindrical surface coaxially surrounding the shaft 14 and on which the yarn is wound to form the cakes 18.

The several components 1 I have outer end regions 11' situated beyond the cakes and having reduced cross section to respectively pass freely through the radially extending slots I7 (FIG. 4) of transverse circular guide plates 16 which thus guide the components 11 for radial movement inwardly toward and outwardly away from the shaft 14. Each plate 16, which is affixed to a respective end of sleeve 8, is formed with a central opening sufficiently large for the shaft 14 to pass therethrough as well as for a manually operable means to pass therethrough, as will be apparent from the description which follows.

The several components 10 have inner ribs 10' respectively situated in radial planes and each formed with slots 13 passing therethrough. These slots 13 are each provided, as shown in FIG. 2, with a left end situated relatively close to the shaft I4 and with an outer right end 19 situated at a greater distance from the shaft 14.

A manually operable means is provided to coact with the set of components 10 to displace the latter inwardly toward the shaft 14 upon movement of the manually operable means in one axial direction and outwardly away from the shaft 14 upon movement of the manually operable means in an opposite direction.

This manually operable means includes elongated axially extending elements 15, respectively situated between the ribs 10' of components 10, as shown most clearly in FIG. 3. These axially extending elements 15 are respectively provided with outwardly directed ears which are fixed to transversely extending pins 9 which respectively extend through the slots 13.

All of the elements 15 extend axially along the shaft 14 outwardly through a central opening of the right guide plate 16 of FIG. 2 to terminate at the right end, as viewed in FIG. 2, where all of these elements 15 are fixedly connected with a handle 7. Thus, this handle 7 may be displaced to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, for displacing the several pins 9 toward the outer ends 19 of the slots 13, or to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, for returning the pins 9 to the left ends of the slots 13, which are nearer to the shaft 14. The ribs of components 10 slide easily between the ears projecting from the elements 15. The components 10 extend between and engage the guide plates 16 at their inner surfaces which are directed toward each other so that these components 10 can only move radially with respect to the shaft 14 but cannot be displaced axially with respect thereto.

Beyond the pair of guide plates 16 the components 11 have exterior portions surrounded by an elastic means 12 in the form of a pair of rubber elastic rings surrounding and engaging the outer extremities of components 11 so as to constantly urge the latter inwardly toward the shaft 14.

An elongated guide sleeve 8 surrounds the shaft 14 and is situated between the latter and the elements 15 of the manually operable means so as to slidably guide the elements 15 for axial movement while maintaining them separate from the rotary shaft 14. This guide sleeve 8 is fixed to the rotary shaft 14 for rotation therewith, and the entire assembly will also rotate with the shaft 14 and the sleeve 8 so as to wind the yarn into the cakes 18. The guide sleeve 8 is formed with axially extending slots which receive inner portions 10 of the components 10 so as to increase the extent to which the latter are movable toward the shaft 14.

During operation of this assembly, the yarns, e.g. in the form of filaments spun from a viscose solution, supplied through the filters 6 and tubes 5 discharge from the nozzles 2 and are first wound around the upper guide roller 4 and then around the lower guide roller 3, the yarns finally being wound into the cakes 18 on the yarn winding assembly of the invention. Thus, in their outer operative positions shown in FIG. 3, all of the components 10 and 11 define at their exterior surfaces a continuous cylinder onto which the yarn is wound.

When the required cake or cakes have been wound onto the spool assembly, each cake 18 can easily be doffed or stripped from the core assembly simply by pulling the handle 7 to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. As is apparent from the above description this will result in inner radial movement of the components 10 with the elastic means 12 acting to cause the elements 11 to move inwardly toward the shaft 14 following the elements 10. It is to be noted that as these elements 10 move inwardly the inner flat surfaces of the elements 11 which slidably engage the oppositely inclined outer side surfaces of the elements 10 will approach each other as they simultaneously approach the shaft 14.

Thus, with the spool core components 10 and 11 situated at their inner inoperative positions, the entire cake 18 can quickly and conveniently be doffed. As soon as the cakes are removed, the operator will push the handle 7 in the opposite axial direction, to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, thus displacing the pins 9 back toward those ends of the slots 13 which are nearer to the shaft 14. It will be noted that the manually operable means has its elements 8 moving only parallel to the shaft 14 so that the pins 9 also move only parallel to the shaft 14 and remain at a constant distance therefrom. Thus, upon return of the handle 7 to its initial position the pins 9 of the manually operable means will displace the components 10 away from the shaft 14 again to their outer operative positions, and the opposite inclined side surfaces of the several components 10 will coact with the inner flat surfaces of the components 11 to displace the latter in opposition to the elastic means 12 also outwardly to their outer operative positions, so that the parts again assume the position indicated in FIG. 3, enabling the next cakes to be wound on the assembly ofthe invention.

It is thus apparent that with the assembly of the invention after a cake is wound it can very quickly and easily be removed with the yarn-winding assembly being immediately replaced in a condition enabling the yarn-winding operations to continue. There are no separate spools which must be transported and which undesirably occupy valuable space.

While the above-described apparatus of the invention has been disclosed as being used in connection with the spinning of filaments, preferably viscose filaments, the arrangement of the invention can also be used in the manufacture of synthetic as well as inorganic filaments.

It is to be noted that in the illustrated example where a pair of cakes 18 are simultaneously wound the ribs of the components 10 are each provided with a pair of grooves 13 and of course the elements 8 are provided with pairs of ears for supporting a pair of pins 9 to be respectively received in a pair of grooves 13 of each rib of each component 10.

What is claimed is:

1. In a yarn-winding assembly, an inner shaft, two sets of axially extending spool core components circumferentially distributed about said shaft with the components of one set alternating with the components of the other set, said components of both sets having part-cylindrical peripheral surfaces of substantially the same radius, whereby at their outer operative positions they all coact at their outer surfaces to provide a continuous substantially circular cylindrical exterior surface extending circumferentially around said shaft and on which yarn is adapted to be wound, manually operable means displaceable axially of said shaft and situated between the latter and said axially extending core components, said manually operable means coacting with one of said sets of components for displacing the latter from their outer operative positions inwardly toward said shaft when said manual operable means is moved in one axial direction along said shaft and for retuming said one set of axially extending components outwardly away from said shaft back to their outer operative positions when said manual operable means is moved in an opposite direction along said shaft, and elastic means coacting with the other set of components for urging them inwardly toward said shaft so that when said manually operable means is moved in said one direction said elastic means will automatically displace said other set of components inwardly toward said axis in a manner following said one set of components, said one set of components coacting with said other set of components for displacing the latter outwardly to their operative positions in opposition to said elastic means when said manually operable means is moved in said other direction to displace said one set of components outwardly to their operative positions.

2. The combination of claim I and wherein the components of said other set are of a substantially T-shaped cross section while the components of said one set are of a substantially trapezoidal cross section with the latter components each being provided with longitudinal oppositely inclined exterior surfaces slidably engaging inwardly directed surfaces of said components of said other set for urging the latter outwardly in opposition to said elastic means when said one set of components are displaced outwardly to their operative positions.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said one set of components respectively have inner rib portions respectively formed with slots passing therethrough and said slots each having one end located nearer to said shaft than an opposite end of each slot, said manually operable means being situated between said ribs and including pins extending into said slots so that upon manual displacement of said manually operable means in said one direction said pins approach the ends of said slots which are more distant from said shaft to displace said one set of components inwardly toward said shaft while when said manually operable means is moved in the opposite direction said pins approach the ends of said slots nearer to said shaft for displacing said one set of components outwardly away from said shaft, said manually operable means having elongated axially extending elements carrying said pins, and respectively situated between said ribs, and including an exterior handle fixed to said elements for displacing the latter simultaneously longitudinally of said shaft while maintaining said pins at a constant distance from said shaft during axial movement of said manually operable means.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein an elongated guide sleeve surrounds said shaft and engages said manually operable means to guide the latter for axial movement.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said sleeve is formed with axially extending slots receiving portions of said one set of components when the latter are displaced inwardly toward said shaft, to increase the radial distance through which one set of components can be displaced toward said shaft.

6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said other set of components have exposed outer ends, and said elastic means including a rubber ring extending around and elastically pressing against said exposed outer ends of the other set of components.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a guide plate extends transversely of said shaft and is formed with a plurality of radially extending slots, said other set of components having portions respectively extending through said slots to be guided thereby and by said plate for radial movement inwardly toward and outwardly away from said shaft. 

1. In a yarn-winding assembly, an inner shaft, two sets of axially extending spool core components circumferentially distributed about said shaft with the components of one set alternating with the components of the other set, said components of both sets having part-cylindrical peripheral surfaces of substantially the same radius, whereby at their outer operative positions they all coact at their outer surfaces to provide a continuous substantially circular cylindrical exterior surface extending circumferentially around said shaft and on which yarn is adapted to be wound, manually operable means displaceable axially of said shaft and situated between the latter and said axially extending core components, said manually operable means coacting with one of said sets of components for displacing the latter from their outer operative positions inwardly toward said shaft when said manual operable means is moved in one axial direction along said shaft and for returning said one set of axially extending components outwardly away from said shaft back to their outer operative positions when said manual operable means is moved in an opposite direction along said shaft, and elastic means coacting with the other set of components for urging them inwardly toward said shaft so that when said manually operable means is moved in said one direction said elastic means will automatically displace said other set of components inwardly toward said axis in a manner following said one set of components, said one set of components coacting with said other set of components for displacing the latter outwardly to their operative positions in opposition to said elastic means when said manually operable means is moved in said other direction to displace said one set of components outwardly to their operative positions.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein the components of said other set are of a substantially T-shaped cross section while the components of said one set are of a substantially trapezoidal cross section with the latter components each being provided with longitudinal oppositely inclined exterior surfaces slidably engaging inwardly directed surfaces of said components of said other set for urging the latter outwardly in opposition to said elastic means when said one set of components are displaced outwardly to their operative positions.
 3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said one set of components respectively have inner rib portions respectively formed with slots passing therethrough and said slots each having one end located nearer to said shaft than an opposite end of each slot, said manually operable means being situated between said ribs and including pins extending into said slots so that upon manual displacement of said manually operable means in said one direction said pins approach the ends of said slots which are more distant from said shaft to displace said one set of components inwardly toward said shaft while when said manually operable means is moved in the opposite direction said pins approach the ends of said slots nearer to said shaft for displacing said one set of components outwardly away from said shaft, said manually operable means having elongated axially extending elements carrying said pins, and respectively situated between said ribs, and including an exterior handle fixed to said elements for displacing the latter simultaneously longitudinally of said shaft while maintaining said pins at a constant distance from said shaft during axial movement of said manually operable means.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein an elongated guide sleeve surrounds said shaft and engages said manually operable means to guide the latter for axial movement.
 5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said sleeve is formed with axially extending slots receiving portions of said one set of components when the latter are displaced inwardly toward said shaft, to increase the radial distance through which one set of components can be displaced toward said shaft.
 6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said other set of components have exposed outer ends, and said elastic means including a rubber ring extending around and elastically pressing against said exposed outer ends of the other set of components.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a guide plate extends transversely of said shaft and is formed with a plurality of radially extending slots, said other set of components having portions respectively extending through said slots to be guided thereby and by said plate for radial movement inwardly toward and outwardly away from said shaft. 